Hunter Henry: Atlanta Falcons draft profile

The Atlanta Falcons have a some work to do at the tight end position. Might they consider targeting Arkansas’ Hunter Henry at No. 17 in the 2016 NFL Draft?

While we all knew that is was going to stand as an immensely difficult challenge for the Atlanta Falcons to adequately replace former All-Pro tight end Tony Gonzalez when he retired after the 2013 NFL season, the Atlanta Falcons may want to go for a big time playmaker at tight end in the 2016 NFL Draft by drafting junior Arkansas Razorback Hunter Henry at No. 17.

At 6’5″, 253 pounds, Hunter Henry was an All-American as a junior playing for Bret Bielema’s Arkansas Razorbacks. In 13 games for the Hogs, Henry had 51 receptions for 739 yards and three touchdowns. Being that he played for two great offensive line coaches in Bielema and former Arkansas offensive line coach Sam Pittman, know with the Georgia Bulldogs, it seems that Henry will also factor in run blocking at the professional level.

While tight end has certainly had deeper draft classes in recent years, Hunter Henry emerges as the crown jewel in the 2016 NFL Draft class. He targets as a mid-to-late first round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, right around where the Atlanta Falcons are picking at No. 17.

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Many expect the Atlanta Falcons to go with a defensive front seven player at No. 17, but perhaps going with a high-profile tight end in Hunter Henry in the first round might end up being the way to go for the Atlanta front office.

Though starting tight end Jacob Tamme is a suitable NFL player, he’s better equipped to for a No. 2 tight end on a great NFL offense. Quarterback Matt Ryan experienced some difficulties spreading the football around in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan‘s West Coast system in 2015, as the receiving corps outside of wide receiver Julio Jones and running back Devonta Freeman largely disappointed in the Atlanta passing game.

Don’t expect Hunter Henry to come in and become Tony Gonzalez 2.0 in Atlanta in 2016, but he has the physical makeup and sure-handedness to become a strong tight in the NFL. Perhaps by the time the Atlanta Falcons are playing in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017 and beyond will Hunter Henry emerge as a Pro Bowl caliber tight end for Matt Ryan’s offense.

While Atlanta should look to spend most of its five 2016 NFL Draft picks on players that will line up on the defensive side of the ball, if the front office isn’t crazy about a pass rusher or an interior defensive lineman at No. 17, they may want to consider going with a tight end like Hunter Henry in the middle of the first round.

Matt Ryan is an accurate passer that loves targeting receiving options he knows will come down with the football in the middle of the field in crucial third down situations. Having a potentially Pro Bowl caliber tight end to target between the hash marks might open up the rest of the field for Ryan to sling the pigskin in 2016 and beyond.

Atlanta does need to address its receiving corps in some capacity in 2016, whether that is in free agency, player development, or through the NFL Draft. Expect general manager Thomas Dimitroff and his personnel staff to come to the right decision with how they can put Ryan in better situations to succeed throwing the football in 2016.

Next: Matt Ryan: Will he lead Atlanta Falcons to a Super Bowl?

If they don’t like what they have on the roster or what’s available in free agency, don’t come away surprised if the Atlanta Falcons do end up taking Hunter Henry at No. 17 in the 2016 NFL Draft. If Dimitroff and his staff think that he’ll fall beyond No. 17 and the Atlanta Falcons can trade back a few spots and still grab him while gaining another pick in the draft, that is a near perfect draft day scenario for the Falcons to find themselves: selecting a potential Pro Bowler in the late first round, while getting another draft pick to work with in the process.

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